The AGA produced a survey conducted by Morning Consult projecting that approximately four million people will wager on the game at brick-and-mortar sportsbooks, a 25% increase from last year.
Another five million will place a wager through an online or mobile platform, which marks a jump of 19%.
Miller said: “The size of the audience and the amount wagered is clearly growing with the legal market. The NFL accounted for 78 of the top 100 telecasts and nine of the 10 last year. When Americans have skin in the game, it’s clear that they are more likely to tune in.”
According to Miller, last year’s Super Bowl produced $6bn in wagers.
The survey states that 52% of bettors will pick the Kansas City Chiefs, while 48% will wager on the San Francisco 49ers.
Despite neither team hailing from a state that allows legal sports betting, Miller said the unlikely matchup may contribute to a higher number of bets.
Miller said: “Sometimes I think there is some betting fatigue around some of the teams that may be in the Super Bowl all the time. There are people who run sportsbooks who have articulated the same. I think the storyline and narrative of these two teams probably makes this a more appealing dynamic for bettors than some of the more predictable and traditional participants.”
Miller attributed the increase in Super Bowl wagers to the rise in states with legalized sports betting.
Though some states with new sports betting markets are faring better than others, Miller downplayed those concerns.
“What we’re seeing is an entirely new market created state by state, so there are going to be states that are better prepared to operationalize this. I wouldn’t apply it on the specific states of who is doing it better and who is doing it worse, mostly because this is the creation of an entire new business opportunity.”
